Video Games and Corgis. As good as it gets.

Main menu

Monthly Archives: May 2012

One of the newest exercise fads going around involves tying some basic exercise moves to mundane tasks. For example, my workplace has started encouraging us to do things like squats, pushups, and situps every time we finish with a phone call. Now clearly they’re looking for ways to lower our insurance premiums, but the idea at its heart is a good one. People in general tend to forget to exercise during the day, and even a small amount can go a long way towards living a healthier lifestyle.

I don’t believe in the stigma of unhealthy gamers, because I find that a hobby is a hobby and it’s the people who live the lifestyle. So I don’t want anyone to assume this post is based on that stereotype. With Summer right around the corner I’ve taken a look at myself and realized just how many bad habits I’ve gotten into. I do try to exercise daily, but “trying” and “doing” are two completely different things.

So the other night as we were raiding Dragon Soul, I noticed that my guild has – well – particular quirks that we do on a semi-regular basis. Then I wondered if, maybe, the idea of combining the workplace exercise plans with raiding would work out at all. With the new raid style Blizzard has introduced, most people are clearing DS in a night or less without long pauses in between. What if we took some basic exercises and applied them to things we do in the raid? Obviously this isn’t going to help people shed 50 lbs in a week, but maybe if we all make an effort to group up and get off our collective butts during the time we spend together, we can segue back into a slightly more active lifestyle.

Everyone’s guild is different, but I know that almost all of them have their own inside jokes. I’d encourage everyone to tailor these plans to their guild’s eccentricities to make it a little more fun. For example, my guild has a sweet little gnome lady that tends to say the most innocent, yet abstractly hilarious things I’ve ever heard. At least once a raid she’ll say something that has me rolling. I could easily tie a quick set of jumping jacks to her funny comments, and that way I get to laugh AND exercise.

So here’s a quick rundown of a plan I thought of. I don’t expect anyone to follow it to the letter, and I’d hope that people would take ownership of their own plans and maybe help their guilds get started with it as well. If you are unsure of how to do some of these exercises, please head here or try searching for them!

1) Down a raid boss – 30 seconds of marching in place. (Believe it or not, marching briskly in place can really get your blood pumping. Try it if you don’t believe me!)

2) Win loot off a boss – 3-5 quick squats.

3) Die during a boss fight – 3 push-ups. (if you are unable to do push-ups on the floor, you can try doing them against a wall!)

4) A complete raid wipe – 5 push-ups for everybody in the raid.

5) Thrall says something – 3 lunges while he finishes rambling.

6) Finish the final raid encounter – 5 lunges after loot has been distributed.

Remember that before exercising it usually helps to stretch, but these short bursts of movement shouldn’t be too bad as long as you’re not going overboard with over-exertion.

Once you get the feel of an exercise plan, maybe also start considering other things during your day that can help you get off your feet a little more. Walking around the block, taking the stairs, etc. The general recommendation is at least an hour of a decent workout a day to stay at top physical alertness. I’ve incredibly guilty of falling short of that recommendation, so I’m going to make an effort to change that.

I’d love to see people tailor these towards their specific raid groups, or even post more ideas in the comments!

Also, I apologize for not updating as much lately and for this not being a beta post. Life has just been a bit hectic for the last month or so!